1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic circuits, and specifically, to a driver circuit for conducting current through an electronic device connected to a supply voltage source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional drive circuits provide one or more transistors i.e. drivers for driving current through an inductive load. Typically, additional electronic components are provided to limit the current delivered to the driver. Under normal operating conditions, the current through the driver is further limited due to the impedance of the inductive load. However, it is possible a short-circuit in the node including the driver can occur that causes excessive current flow through the driver. As a result, the driver can be damaged.
Short-circuit protection circuits exist to protect drivers from current damage resulting from short-circuits. Traditional short-circuit protection circuits provide fully protected integrated chips preprogrammed software and additional electronic components to detect a short-circuit. In response, the microcontroller takes appropriate measures to prevent damage to the driver. Although a driver can be protected using software intervention and microcontrollers, the resulting driver circuit can be very costly, especially in high current applications.